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Zero jitter buffer mode

Disable the subscriber jitter buffer to minimize playback latency.

Overview

Zero jitter buffer mode disables the subscriber-side jitter buffer to minimize playback latency, for apps that prioritize the lowest possible latency over smoothing out network jitter.

Usage

Zero jitter buffer mode is currently available in the Rust SDK only. Before creating any rooms, activate it once globally:

livekit::webrtc::enable_zero_playout_delay()
.inspect_err(|err| println!("Failed to activate: {}", err));

Once enabled, zero jitter buffer mode applies to all subscribed video tracks.

When to use

Your app can benefit from zero jitter buffer mode when frame freshness is more important than smooth playback, such as for teleoperation. When enabled, frames are displayed immediately after decoding instead of being delayed to smooth out network jitter. Under less-than-ideal network conditions, this can result in uneven frame pacing or visible stutter in exchange for lower end-to-end latency.